Finding our Way
by Sody-Pop
Summary: Sorry, I can't write a summary. if you'd like to read a summary i've written, you'd be better off just reading the story. sorry!


I really hate ponytails...

Hello, my name is Areona Toront. I am eleven years old and going into sixth grade. I have firery red hair that hangs barely past my shoulders which is wavy and quite often unkept. My eyes are blue. On the outside, I look like you typical, agressive redhead. Think again. I'm shy, which I really hate since I used to be very bold. I'm desperate and clingy from lack of attention so I follow my friends like moths to a flame. My compulsive behavior usually drives them away. I'm a geek, nerd, and one of the only people I know who enjoy school. My friends act kind, but they always bully me without meaning to and I've developed an almost mean and unnecesary hatred toward two of them. I don't know anymore, I think I'm slowly destroying my own self esteem. I don't understand if they're just nice and teasing, or mean and rude because they were raised to be like that (hopefully not on purpose).

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I hate physical activity with a passion.

Sports, sports, sports. My parents ALWAYS want me to join one. The only sport I have some respect for is basketball, and even that isn't that great. Mom says I need physical activity. Can't I just dance? Music is what I love, not smacking people down on a court or field.

Anyway, I told my mom that I somewhat liked basketball and she signed me up for a rec league. I've been practicing with them for a couple weeks and this is what I've learned so far in vocabulary.

Half/Mid-court line-exactly what its named. a line dividing the court into two teams.

Key- What looks like a semicircle attached to a rectangle painted on the floor below the hoop. If a rebound is in the key for more than 3 seconds, I'm pretty sure a foul is called or something. I should research it.

Wing- offensive playing position, either to the right or the left of the key. Catches and dribbles ball in white can either shoot or pass. Picks closest girl when playing red or blue.

Guard- Defensive playing position, to the left or right upper corner of the key. Guards ONE FOURTH OF THE FREAKING COURT.

Pick- To cross your arms over your chest and run up to the closest person to the ball, blocking them from the pathway. (basically where the ball is being dribbled)

Point guard- On current offensive team, dribbles ball up to perform a white, blue, or red.

White- The point guard can shoot the ball in either direction. The post (positioned like the guard, but for the offensive team) on the opposite side will run to the lower opposite corner of the key.

Red- The ball is immediatley passed to the right side. The right wing will pick the girl closest to the ball, the post, I think, picks the second closest girl. The ball is then passed, or shot, if possible.

blue- Exactly like red, but on the opposite side.

Green?- I'm not sure on this one, but a green is when you pass a ball (like a jump ball or foul?) to your team, or the opposite team if they catch it. Then you dribble to offensive position (if you're in possesion of the ball).

I don't know, I hope this freaking helps. This game is confusing as hell.

Well, we're here and I can't remember a single position were supposed to play. In white, when you play a wing, do you run to the back door or the post's old position? In red, what on earth do I do? On blue, its even more confusing!

I'm the first one here. We arrived like, 45 minutes ahead of schedule. Right now its 7:15. Yep, the game starts at 8. I'm still trying to remember positions when someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around...

...and see my "friend", Bailey. Damn! I was hoping to actually be GOOD before facing her team, I made it my personal goal to CRUSH the Flames. She's just standing there, with her odd, almost smirk-like grin that says "oh well, look who you have to face."

"Oh my gosh Bailey! We're going against YOU!" I asked. She just shrugged. "Yeah."

"Darn, I was hoping to be GOOD before I faced you guys."

"Why?"

"Because I made it my personal goal to beat your team! Thank you for crushing my dreams."

Bailey just rolled her eyes. She pointed to one of my team members who, apparently, used to be on the Flames. "Thank GOD she doesn't wear her hair how she used to!" Bailey said in disgust. HONESTLY! This is a BASKETBALL GAME, and your complaining about her HAIR! Linda can shoot three pointers no sweat. This is just wrong.

After a while, I ditched Bailey and went to go talk to Linda. After a moment of talking, she stole my basketball and we practiced shooting. I'm horrible, but yelling at her for stealing the ball was fun. In a playful manner, of course. I wasn't like " HEY GIMME BACK MAH BASKETBALL NAO." No, I'm not like that.

After some time, the coach had us all line up on the court line. We had to do walking stretches all the way to the mid-court line and back. Then we practiced playing our positions. On Offense, in the 2cnd and 3rd quarter, I was to play wing, and on defense, I was a guard. The game was about to begin, so we all threw our hands in the middle of our huddle and yelled "1...2...3...STARS!" Then we were off. I had to sit on the bench the first quarter. Tracy was kind enough to explain what I was supposed to do when I started playing. I reviewed this as often as possible. The first quarter was over in the blink of an eye, and soon I was in the game.

First we played defense. I pressured the point guard, but not signifigantly, she passed the ball to the opposite side of the court. They didn't make the point. We caught the rebound and ran to offense, which I played a wing. We were playing white, and they ALWAYS sent the ball in the opposite direction, thank you point guard. As soon as the post took off I ran to the back door and tried to get the rebound. I failed, but somehow Linda managed to get the ball and shot a three-pointer. And she made it! It was 3-0, I think.

The game moved faster than I did. Flames shot some, we shot more, etc.,... Next thing I know I'm running to the wing and they're already doing the blue play. I ran up to the girl closest to the ball, crossed my arms, and slammed her body full force. The world went black for a second, no, a milesecond, but that milesecond was an eternity. Someone in the stands yelled "HEY!" The word was moving without me. I dug my fingers into my hair and hyperventailated. The game now seemed like a T.V. show, something thats surface I could touch but could never join. I burst into tears.

Next thing I know I'm surrounded by my teammates. One of them I couldn't recogonize at the moment told me to pat my head. Wait, why do I need to pat my head? Then I remembered. It's for when you wanted to get out of the game. I didn't want to leave the game, but I patted my head anyway. it wasn't noticable. Several other girls started patting my head for me. I knew I could still play, but it might be better for the team if I do it when I'm not crying, I guess.

The girls I was sitting with on the bench, Nikki, and Teresa, reassured me. they told me the guy who yelled was the girl's father. They also told me the best thing about basketball was getting beat up, because you could beat up back. Oh great. Little miss "I don't wanna get hurt" and "NO VIOLENCE" plays in a VERY agressive, and scary game.

Third quarter, I was in. Same positions, just reversed court. The ball was being dribbled back and forth on the court. My team was winning. eventually Tracy became point guard and dribbled the ball in. Next thing I knew, she was on the ground. A break was called and I ran over to her. She looked as if she were about to faint, drool was coming out of her mouth in the shaky position. She was taken out of the game and replaced with her sub. I was scared as HELL.

I'm pretty sure I hyperventailated the rest of the quarter. On break, I ran to my waterbottle and started gulping the horrid tap water like it was the last in the world. Coach decided that instead of subbing for Tracy like I was supposed to, Alyssa would sub for me. THANK YOU. I ran back into the game and played the rest of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, I was reassured yet again, this time by Tracy and Teresa. they, yet again, told me basketball was agressive, and I need to fight back. Teresa looked at me and asked "Alright, well just imagine who you really hate, and use that anger against their team" I thought a moment. "She's on that team" I told them.

"Really? what number?" Tracy asked.

"Eight. She goes to my school and bullies me."

"Wh-wait, she goes to Western Forest?" that's right, Teresa goes to the same school as me.

"yeah"

On the next break, I asked to be put back in (actually my friends asked for me ^^;) The rest of the game went quickly. I could barely monitor the ball. We won, I think, with a ten-point lead. Hooray!

I wasn't really feeling the victory though. I had no part in it.

After snack we went home. I needed a shower, needed to wash the basketball off of me. That game was traumatizing. The best I could do for now, though, was take the band off the back of my head and ruffle my hair out to its natural state.

" God," I said, "I really hate ponytails."

Cant WAIT till our next game on Thursday.


End file.
